What happens next Where's my refund? Best CD rates this month Shop and save 🤑
CARS
Nissan

First drive: Nissan broadens Titan pickup line

Mark Phelan
Detroit Free Press

Nissan will field a broader model line and an improved truck when the all-new 2017 Titan full-size pickup goes on sale this month.

Nissan has redone its Titan pickup for 2017

Boasting a grille and tailgate that recall the bigger Titan XD medium-duty pickup, the new Titan will offer three cab sizes and a pair of new engines, including its first diesel.

Only the largest cab, the four-door, five-passenger crew cab, will initially be available. Prices start at $34,780 for a rear-drive model, $1,510 less than the least expensive XD. All prices exclude a $1,195 destination charge.

Nissan builds the Titan in Canton, Miss. In addition to the crew cab, a King Cab model with a smaller rear seat and small, rear-hinged back doors and a two-door regular cab model will be available. Nissan did not previously make a two-door Titan and expects that model to draw new business and farming customers.

Nissan will also offer a 5-liter diesel V-8 in crew cab models. Pricing on those models have not been announced.

Nissan developed the Titan to challenge Chevrolet, Ford and Ram’s dominance of the American market for light-duty pickups like the F-150 and Silverado. The first Titan went on sale in 2003 as a 2004 model. It has been on the market ever since, but sales never lived up to Nissan’s hopes. Nissan sold around 12,000 Titans in 2015, compared to hundreds of thousands by the Detroit Three and far behind even the Toyota Tundra’s 118,880 sales.

A short drive in a gasoline-powered Titan 4x4 crew cab revealed the new truck to be roomy, comfortable and quiet. The new engine and seven-speed automatic transmission provided adequate power and smooth shifts driving around rolling farm country west of Detroit. The new gasoline engine is the same displacement as the old model, but adds direct fuel injection and other features to boost power to 390 horsepower and 394 pound-feet of torque.

The Environmental Protection Agency's fuel-economy ratings for the 2017 Titan are not available.

The cabin is roomy, with plenty of storage. Nissan says the five-passenger crew cab has 16 cup holders, and the big bin in the center console between the front seats can swallow a 15-inch laptop with room to spare.

The rear seat offers loads of legroom and a bench seat that can be reconfigured to maximize interior storage. The tailgate is identical to the one on the Titan XD. A handy step can be lowered from the rear bumper for easy access to the 5½-foot cargo bed, which has a spray-in bed liner, adjustable cleats for cargo and plenty of lights.

The crew cab’s maximum towing capacity is 9,390 pounds.

Like the XD, the Titan was largely engineered in the U.S. Its diesel and gasoline engines are both produced here. Look for Nissan to emphasize its American roots as well as its new features to attract customers.

What Stands Out

Noise: There isn't any

Looks: Big and tough

Cabin: Plenty of storage

2017 Nissan Titan

What? A full-size pickup

When?  Available now

Where? Made in Canton, Miss., with the engine built in Decherd, Tenn.

How big? 19 feet long

How much? Starts at $34,780 plus destination charge of $1,195

What makes it go? 5.6-liter V-8 producing 390 horsepower

How thirsty? Not available yet

Overall? Looks promising in a crowded field that includes Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado

Featured Weekly Ad